


I might need you

by Signe_chan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-13 06:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Signe_chan/pseuds/Signe_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for SPNpairingbingo on livejournal. Cas doesn't want to be left alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I might need you

After the angels fell somehow a slow migration began. Castiel was one of the first to arrive at the men of letters bunker, still raw and new to humanity. Kevin was there already and soon Garth joined them, his house boat no longer a safe place. Charlie came soon after, having called the Winchesters in a panic after the angels fell, then Jodie Mills who was full of righteous anger at what had been done to her and wanted in.

Predictably, Dean and Sam were the last to arrive. They’d been in hospital trying to save Sam’s life. They’d succeeded but Crowley was gone and the gate to hell remained open. Castiel couldn’t blame Dean for placing Sam’s life over closing the gate but he couldn’t help but feel that all their work had, once again, been for nothing.

For a few awkward weeks they all circled each other, all angry and lost, but it became increasingly clear that most of the angels had died in the fall and those who survived were powerless. Charlie was the first to leave, letting them know where to find her if they needed her. Kevin left at night, he didn’t leave a note. Jodie stayed longer, convinced the hunters to train her then set off with rock salt and shotguns to carve her revenge in to the evil things of the world.

And then Dean and Sam left.

Castiel should have anticipated it but he didn’t. Hadn’t even let himself think that of course Dean and Sam were going to leave. They were hunters, they didn’t have time to sit around in a bunker playing house. They made it clear they were going to come back but Cas knew that things had changed.

They never even offered to take him with them.

After that he knew it was only a matter of time. Garth had made himself at home in the bunker, setting up the things he needed to run his hunter network in the main area, but it was still only a matter of time before something pulled him away and Castiel couldn’t help but look for that moment, the moment he’d be alone.

The ridiculous thing was that for all he thought he’d been alone before he never had. He’d closed himself from the host but their presence had always been with him, a subtle weight at the back of his mind and now it was gone. He was alone in so many ways, he did not wish to be alone in this last way too.

It did not help that he enjoyed Garth’s company. The hunter was strange, he knew that, but also kind in a way Sam and Dean rarely had the time or inclination to be. They tried but there were too many demands on their time, too many disasters to be averted for them to explain to Cas why he had to wear socks and how to wash his clothes and how hot the pan had to be to fry an egg. Garth seemed to have infinite time for these small questions: even seemed to enjoy teaching Castiel how to be human.

Castiel tried not to depend on him, on his continued presence, as he knew it was only a matter of time until Garth too left. It was impossible, though. Impossible, weak as he was, not to need. In this moment he needed Garth. Whenever they interacted it was a thought he couldn’t shake, that this was a limited time deal. That soon Garth would move on and Castiel just didn’t know what to do with that.

They were making casserole. Apparently someone named Cas making a casserole was amusing, Garth had chuckled to himself when he suggested it. Cas had smiled though he didn’t see the humour in it, he didn’t want to disappoint Garth. Not in the ways he always seemed to disappoint Dean.

He’d mastered all the basic skills involved in preparing the ingredients for the dish. Which vegetables had to be prepared in which ways. The seasoning was still something of a mystery to him so Garth was working on it, stopping Castiel occasionally to offer him a spoon full of broth. Cas had few opinions on it but said it tasted delicious every time which made Garth beam. Castiel hated and loved that smile in equal proportion. He enjoyed it greatly, the way it lit up Garth’s entire face and how easily it seemed to fall compared to the smiles of the other humans he had known. He hated it because of the way it lit up Garth’s entire face and the uncomfortable stirring of something Castiel was beginning to suspect was attraction that it brought.

He had heard that humans tended to grow attracted to those they shared close quarters with for long periods of time. It didn’t make the attraction any easier to deal with.

“I think this should do it,” Garth declared, stepping back from the broth and gesturing Castiel over. Cas suspected that if anything the broth was over-seasoned but he wouldn’t say that. Instead he allowed Garth to place a spoonful of the broth in his mouth so he could taste it. He nodded, approvingly, and Garth smiled. “Great!” he exclaimed, “Let’s get those veggies and, hold up.”

He stepped back from Castiel, expression turning serious as he slipped his phone out of his jeans pocket. As he slipped outside Castiel gathered the vegetables and tried not to think about what message Garth might be taking. About the thought that this might be it. This time he might be called away and this time he might not come back and then Castiel would be alone. Alone and useless. Too new to humanity to negotiate life as a hunter, abandoned here to rot in this hole in the ground.

A hand wrapped around his and Castiel started, nearly dropping the chopping board he’d lifted and spending its contents spilling. Another thing he hated about being human, how easy it was for people to sneak up on him now. He looked up to find Garth stood there, gripping his wrist and looking worried.

“You alright,” Garth asked, not letting go. “You were kind of out of it there.”

“I’m fine,” Castiel said. He tried to withdraw but Garth kept his hold, even squeezing a little tighter. “I was thinking.”

“Yeah, thinking,” Garth said with a snort. “You looked like you were wishing death on the veggies. That’s not cool, men. Though I guess it’s technically already dead so, whatever. What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Castiel insisted, turning to take the vegetables to the casserole dish on the counter. Garth followed, still holding his wrist as though it simply hadn’t occurred to him to let go.

“Didn’t look like nothing,” Garth insisted, crowding in closer. “We’re buddies, right? We can talk about feelings. I mean, I know you might not have got the impression that talking about feelings is a thing people do given the company you’ve been keeping up ‘til now but real people talk to each other about their feelings.”

“It’s nothing,” Castiel insisted. “What was your call about? Are you going out on a hunt?”

“Of course not,” Garth scoffed, “I’m hanging out here with you until you’re ready to go. I’m hardly going to just run off and leave you alone. But, seriously, what were you thinking about?”

Castiel blinked. Garth was still staring at him, concerned. He obviously hadn’t made the leap between what he’d just said and things Castiel might be worried about and it was like a knot loosening in Cas’s stomach. Garth had not said that because he thought Castiel needed to hear it, he’d said it because it was true. He really intended to stay here as long as Castiel needed him to be here. He wasn’t going to be left alone.

He leant in and kissed Garth.

Another thing to add to the list of things he hated about being human: his body jumping in to an action before his brain decided if it was a good idea or not.

“Oh,” Garth said when Castiel drew back, and for a second they just stood there and looked at each other and then that grin broke across Garth’s face again. “Hey, why didn’t you say you wanted to do something like that sooner?” he asked, stepping in. Castiel was prepared for the kiss this time and when he came he leant in to it, bringing his hands up to run through Garth’s hair and pulling the other man closer to him.

“Yeah,” Garth gasped when they parted. “This...this is definitely a good idea.”


End file.
